Jackson County, MO is in the process of purchasing a 23 mile ex-CRIP line from Union Pacific that extends from Raytown, MO through Kansas City and on to Independence, MO for future use in commuter rail service serving Kansas City. Here is the coverage from TRAINS (Subscription):

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jackson County has been allocated $10 million in federal highway transportation funds to apply toward the $59.9 million cost of purchasing nearly 23 miles of former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific right-of-way from Union Pacific through Raytown, Lee’s Summit, Kansas City, and Independence. The purchase is part of a plan to establish commuter rail service that would connect the area to downtown Kansas City.

Plans such as these will be a fundamental part of any future growth in Amtrak service to and from Kansas City Union Station.

For those who subscribe, the December issue of Trains has a story on the 100th Anniversary of Kansas City Union Station. It focuses on the ups and downs of the rehabilitation/preservation efforts and, unfortunately, has very little on past, present or future rail operations at the station. One Amtrak note that was in the story caught my eye--it says that the current Amtrak waiting room is too small, leading to crowds spilling out of the waiting room. For those who have been there, does that ring true?

Metro: Once an effective transit system in the Washington, DC area; now no longer extant.

Station Aficionado wrote:For those who subscribe, the December issue of Trains has a story on the 100th Anniversary of Kansas City Union Station. It focuses on the ups and downs of the rehabilitation/preservation efforts and, unfortunately, has very little on past, present or future rail operations at the station. One Amtrak note that was in the story caught my eye--it says that the current Amtrak waiting room is too small, leading to crowds spilling out of the waiting room. For those who have been there, does that ring true?

Yes. I caught the Chief out of there in September. The eastbound train's departure is pretty close to the first Missouri River Runner, and if it's delayed at all you're going to have people for both milling around. The waiting room can't really handle a single train's worth of passengers, let alone two. I stood the whole time.

Station Aficionado wrote:For those who subscribe, the December issue of Trains has a story on the 100th Anniversary of Kansas City Union Station. It focuses on the ups and downs of the rehabilitation/preservation efforts and, unfortunately, has very little on past, present or future rail operations at the station. One Amtrak note that was in the story caught my eye--it says that the current Amtrak waiting room is too small, leading to crowds spilling out of the waiting room. For those who have been there, does that ring true?

Yes. I caught the Chief out of there in September. The eastbound train's departure is pretty close to the first Missouri River Runner, and if it's delayed at all you're going to have people for both milling around. The waiting room can't really handle a single train's worth of passengers, let alone two. I stood the whole time.

Thankfully, there's plenty of space to expand the waiting room into the adjacent areas should they so desire. Definitely a good problem to have.

Kansas City suspended ordinary life Tuesday as throngs of Royals fans jammed downtown to watch the World Series victory parade.

How many people lined the 2.3-mile route for the noon parade?

Perhaps 500,000 people, as estimated by the Kansas City Sports Commission, or up to 800,000, an estimate offered up by Mayor Sly James. There were so many people that wireless services slowed or became unusable. So many that fans were delayed at shuttle pickup spots when buses were overwhelmed by the unexpected turnout.

And so many cars that drivers unable to get into gridlocked downtown parked on highway shoulders and the grassy verges beyond.

Nice to see that this facility continues to be at the very beating heart of Kansas City.

Meghan Jansen, spokeswoman for the contractors who installed the track, said a small crowd of spectators turned out even at that early hour, including two parents and two children who walked for a few blocks along with the slow-moving tow truck. She said the parents were excited about the momentous event, although the kids were a bit more skeptical.

As the sun rose and the tow truck traveled south on Main Street, more and more people came out of their businesses to witness the first time a streetcar has been seen downtown since the late 1950s.

“People were enthusiastic,” Gerend said. “They thought it was more impressive than they had expected.”

It’s especially exciting, he said, to see the streetcar in downtown’s rejuvenated environment, with Union Station, the Power & Light District and other parts of the business district serving as backdrops.

State of good repair maintenance on the exterior of Kansas City Union Station will be taking place this year. Of interest is the note in the article indicating that the facility is now able to cover its costs from its own revenues:

A $1.6 million project will tuck point, clean and seal the entire limestone exterior of the building, starting with the north end of the long waiting room, facing downtown. Scaffolding can be seen there already. The final stage, covering the front facade of the depot, will be done next spring.

The work is necessary to replace loose caulking and to clean dark discoloration that is particularly visible near the roof line. The work is expected to keep the building in good shape for about 20 years....The project probably would not have been possible a few years ago when the station was experiencing chronic deficits.

“It is of critical importance to stay ahead of the curve in maintaining the beauty, integrity and longevity of our physical structures,” Union Station board chairman Bob Regnier said in a statement announcing the project. “This is one of the many advantages of ongoing financial success at the station ... being able to proactively put investment where it matters most.”